Last year, Airtel finally launched the much-awaited 3G services in India. The company has won 3G license for 13 telecom circles in India including Mumbai, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (West), Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, North East, Jammu & Kashmir. The 3G plans announced by Airtel and other operators were costly and not affordable of most of us. Soon after the launch of 4G services in India, Airtel went ahead and slashed 3G data plan rates by up to 70%.

Earlier, the subscribers would have to shell out Rs.201, Rs.450 and Rs.750 for 250 MB, 600 MB and 2 GB of data respectively. Now, the customers will have to pay just Rs.100, Rs.250 and Rs.450 for 300 MB, 1GB and 2GB of data respectively. Airtel has also launched a new 3G plan for heavy data subscribers, which allows then to download 10 GB of data for just Rs.1500. The new Airtel 3G packs are now available for both pre-paid and post-paid customers across circles using phones as well as dongles. Check out the complete tariff below.

These 3G data plans comes with a validity of 30 days. However, Airtel pre-paid customers can opt for a weekly data plan, which gives you 150 MB of data for just Rs.45 with a validity of 7 days. Airtel has also announced the new Smartbytes for 3G, which allows the customers to continue enjoying the 3G experience even after exhausting their monthly data limits using the add-on packs. Sadly, the Smartbytes is currently available only for the post-paid customers.

Last month, Airtel launched the much-awaited 4G service in India. Airtel became the India’s first private operator to launch its 4G services. Until now, the much talked about 4G services was available only for the Airtel subscribers living in the Kolkata circle. However, the company went ahead and finally launched the lightning fast 4G services in Bengaluru circle. Airtel’s 4G network in Bengaluru was launched by Mr. D. V. Sadananda Gowda, Hon’ble Chief Minister of the state of Karnataka.

Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, CEO – India & South Asia, Bharti airtel said,

“As seen the world over, the total data usage is exploding and is doubling each year to grow to nearly 3.6 hexabytes by 2014. With the launch of 4G, India will move from being a follower in technology to matching the world in this domain. Leading from the front, Airtel is now the only operator that gives citizens of the Information Technology capital of Bengaluru, access to entire spectrum of broadband services including 2G, 3G and now 4G – thereby giving the customers never seen before data experience”.

In 2010, Airtel had successfully bid for BWA license spectrum in Kolkata, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai) circles. The company has launched its 4G LTE services in Kolkata and Bengaluru and is currently working towards rolling out the 4G network in remaining licence circles. Last year, Airtel became one of the founding members of the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) which was launched at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011.

Airtel offers 3 different 4G plans starting at Rs.999 for 6 GB of free data, going up to Rs.1,999 for 18 GB of free data usage. However, the company has launched a new plan for heavy data users, which offer 30 GB of data for Rs.2,999 per month. Airtel has also announced the new Smartbytes for 4G, which allows the customers to continue enjoying the 4G experience even after exhausting their monthly data limits using the add-on packs. As part of the introductory offer by Airtel, customers subscribing to 4G services will now be given a cashback for dongle on Rs 1,999 and Rs 2,999 plans.

Bharti Airtel, India’s leading integrated telecommunications company, has launched airtel shop – a one stop destination for mobile handsets, digital TV, and broadband connections at http://shop.airtel.com.

While selling mobile handsets might be a way to push integrated data packs and subscription plans from Airtel, the online store enters a crowded ecommerce market in India with cutthroat competition over pricing and experience. The store also offers broadband and digitalTV connections – a trivial addition to complete the catalog since there would rarely be returning customers for the same.

The store offers handsets from seven brands as of now-Nokia, HTC, Apple, Sony, LG, Samsung, and BlackBerry. I randomly checked prices of few latest phones on airtel shop and flipkart.com and found them to be very competitive, and in several cases lesser at the time of writing. At this moment, airtel shop also offers additional benefits to online customers over walk-in customers on retail counters:

• Upto 33% off on mobile devices with exclusive Airtel plans
• Rs 500 cashback on new broadband connections
• Rs 250 cashback on new digitalTV connections

While the idea of an integrated store for telecom products and services sounds interesting, this clearly looks like a quick and dirty job. It is also a bummer that a store from Airtel doesn’t sell the obvious mobile phone connections and other value-added services apart from 3G connections.

The interface has been borrowed by the Airtel homepage at http://airtel.in and the store is managed by Infibeam, a leading ecommerce store in India. The site clearly states that since Airtel doesn’t sell or deliver mobile phones, the ones ordered on the site are made available and delivered by NSI Infinium Global Pvt. Ltd., an Airtel partner.

Back in February, HTC announced the new HTC One range of smartphones. The HTC One X, HTC One S and HTC One V are the first three members of the HTC One family. The HTC One X and One S are high-end smartphones, while the HTC One V is a mid-range phone. These handsets runs on the latest Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Operating System.

Along with the HTC One X, the company also launched the HTC One V in India. If you are looking for an Android 4.0 powered smartphone, without burning a hole in your pocket, then you should definitely for for the HTC One V. This handset comes with a 3.7 inch touchscreen display as well as a 1 GHz processor. If you are planning to buy this device, then check out the complete specs below.

“We are much focused on creating an invaluable camera and audio experience that is user-friendly, so customers will love using it and we believe that the HTC One series will deliver this like never before,” said Faisal Siddiqui, Country Manager of HTC India.

HTC One V features a 3.7 inch touchscreen display, sporting a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, 1 GHz processor, Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS, HTC Sense 4 UI, 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, HD (720p) video recording and playback, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, 3G Connectivity and so on.

Other features include a 3.5 mm headset jack, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB internal memory, MicroSD card slot, 32 GB internal memory, Beats Audio, Bluetooth 4.0, 25 GB DropBox cloud storage, A-GPS and a 1500 mAh battery. This handset measures 120.3mm x 59.7mm x 9.24mm and weighs just 115 grams.

The HTC One V is currently available only in Jupiter Rock color. Airtel subscribers will get 500 MB of data for 3 months, 100 full songs download and 200 minutes of Mobile TV with the purchase of this handset. The HTC One V comes with a price-tag of Rs.19,999, but you can easily get this device at a best buy price of Rs.18,299.

Last year, Airtel launched its 3G services in India. Now, within a year, the company went ahead and launched the India’s first 4G service. Tata Docomo was the first private operator to launch its 3G services in India. However, this year Airtel became the first private operator to launch its 4G services. Airtel’s 4G services are currently available only for the subscribers living in the Kolkata circle.

Airtel’s 4G (TD-LTE) network was launched by Mr. Kapil Sibal, Hon’ble Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India. With this launch, India joins the most advanced telecom markets in the world and marks the beginning of a new chapter in the country’s telecom success story.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Airtel said,

“Today’s launch is a major milestone for India and Airtel. Over the past 15 years Airtel has been at the forefront of India’s telecom revolution and has set the technology trends in India by aligning with the global standards. We are delighted to now provide leadership in setting the technology standard for 4G services in India by introducing the cutting edge TD-LTE. We are confident that others will follow in this direction and participate in our pioneering effort of making TD-LTE the defacto 4G standard in India.”

Back in 2010, Airtel won BWA license spectrum in Kolkata, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai) circles. The operator is currently working towards rolling out the 4G LTE services in circles other than Kolkata. Airtel is also one of the founding members of the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) which was launched at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011.

Airtel 4G offers rich content along with superfast access to High Definition (HD) videos, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and so on. Currently, Airtel offers 3 different 4G plans starting at Rs.999 for 6 GB of free data, going up to Rs.1,999 for 18 GB of free data usage. The company is expected to launch its 4G services in Bengaluru by the end of Q2 of 2012. Stay tuned for more updates!

After having successfully launched the iPhone 4S in India and boasting of over 230 million subscribers worldwide, India’s major mobile service provider Airtel has announced that its customers can now enjoy free access to Twitter till March 1, 2012.

N Rajaram, Chief Marketing Officer – Consumer Business, Bharti Airtel said, “With this, 170 million+ (in India) Airtel mobile customers will now potentially be able to enjoy Twitter’s rich interface on their mobile web browsers or access updates posted by specific users through SMS notifications free of charge. This initiative will introduce new users to an exciting world of possibilities that mobile internet enables, thus providing an impetus to data services market.

This will allow its subscribers to share and read Tweets of up to 140 characters, which can also include photos, videos or links to websites and news stories.

Users can visit http://mobile.twitter.com for free, including those who have not subscribed for a data connection – That is, users can send SMS short code 53000 to sign up for Twitter and even Tweet or receive Tweets from specified users.

For instance, to follow Techie Buzz on Twitter via SMS, all you need to do is send the following text message to 53000 -

Follow techiebuzzer

At the AsiaD Conference, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey had announced that Twitter is teaming up with India’s largest mobile operator, Bharti Airtel to offer free access to Airtel customers.

Earlier in July 2010, Facebook had teamed up with Airtel to allow its users to access the social networking site for free by visiting the link m.facebook.com for a limited amount of time. Vodafone also announced the Facebook Phonecalled Vodafone 555 Blue.  The phone comes with a price tag of just Rs.4,950 (approx. $110). You will also get free unlimited access to Facebook for a year, with the purchase of this handset.

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Last month, BlackBerry introduced a new member in its Curve family – the BlackBerry Curve 9360. This handset runs on the latest BlackBerry 7 Operating System. We have a good news for the folks living in India. Research-In-Motion (RIM) has recently launched the new BlackBerry Curve 9360 in India. Airtel subscribers will get additional benefits with the purchase of this handset. If you are planning to buy one, then check out the complete specs below.

BlackBerry Curve 9360 features a 2.44 inch HVGA+ display, sporting a resolution of 480 x 360 pixels, 800 MHz processor, BlackBerry 7 Operating System, Full QWERTY keyboard, touch-sensitive optical trackpad, 3G Connectivity, 5 megapixel camera with flash, image stabilization, face detection, digital zoom, geo-tagging, VGA video recording and so on.

Other features include a 3.5mm headset jack, integrated GPS with A-GPS ready, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, NFC (Near Field Communications), microSD/SDHC slot, 512 MB RAM, 512 MB internal memory, 32 GB expandable memory, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, up to 9 hours of video playback time, up to 25 hours of music playback time, up to 5 hours of talk-time, up to 12 days of standby time and a 1000 mAh battery.

BlackBerry Curve 9360 comes with a price-tag of Rs.19,990. Airtel subscribers will get the Rs.299 BlackBerry plan free for 2 months two months with the purchase of this device. Airtel subscribers will also get an additional benefit of reduced local calls rates at 20p/min and SMS at 5p with a validity of 12 months.

Last week, Reliance Communications launched its entry-level tablet in India for just Rs.12,999. Now, Beetel, a part of the Bharti Group, has joined the bandwagon. Last month, we posted that Beetel, will soon launch its Android powered tablet in India. And, within a month, the company went ahead and launched the affordable Beetel Magiq tablet. This device runs on the Android 2.2 (Froyo) Operating System and it comes with a 7 inch touchscreen display, 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor, etc.

Mr. Vinod Sawhny Executive Director & CEO, Beetel Teletech, said, The Beetel Magiq Tablet has been designed looking at the technology needs of the extremely demanding Indian customers. Our tablet is not only about affordability but also about aspirational features which were previously available in the high-end devices and not within the reach of the majority of Indian customers. With Beetel Magiq Indian customers can access their dream world to support their professional as well as their entertainment needs.

Beetel Magiq Specifications:

• 7 inch touchscreen display
• 800 x 480 pixel resolution
• 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor
• Android 2.2 (Froyo) Operating System
• Custom UI
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• GSM calling support
• 2 megapixel rear camera
• VGA front camera for video calling
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• 8 GB Internal memory
• 3G Connectivity
• Bluetooth
• USB connector
• 2200 mAh battery

The Beetel Magiq tablet comes with a price-tag of Rs.9,999 (approx. $220). This tablet is Rs.3000 cheaper, compared to the Reliance tablet, but it runs on the old Android Froyo OS. The company also announced that, the Beetel Magiq will be soon upgraded to the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS. It also comes with a 1 year manufacturer warranty.

Since the Beetel and Airtel are the part of the Bharti Group, customers will get a free Airtel pre-paid or postpaid connection with the purchase of this tablet. Customers will also get 2 GB of 3G data for 2 months. This tablet will soon hit the Indian market. Stay tuned for more updates!

Last week, Airtel launched its 3G services in Kerala. Now, the company went ahead and launched its 3G services in Maharashtra circle. Airtel has won 3G license for 13 telecom circles in India Mumbai, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (West), Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, North East, Jammu & Kashmir.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Ramesh Menon, CEO Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel said, With the launch of Airtel 3G services for our 1.15 crore plus mobile customers across Maharashtra and Goa, we are all set to empower these states with high speed capabilities that will bring them closer to an all new world of possibilities. With a commitment towards delivering an unmatched service and network experience, we look forward to delighting our 3G customers with a host of innovative capabilities including Mobile TV, video calls, video streaming and social networking on-the-go

Airtel does not have the 3G licesnse in Maharashtra and Goa circle. Airtel has mutually signed an Intra Circle Roaming Agreement (ICRA) with private operators such as Idea and Vodafone. Airtel will offer 3G services to its customers in this circle by using the Idea’s 3G services. Airtel 3G services are currently available across all major parts in the region including Pune, Nashik city, Nagpur city & Goa state.

Airtel 3G subscribers in Maharashtra and Goa circle can access multimedia services, high speed mobile broadband, videos on phone, live TV, video calls, etc. You can also enjoy popular Bollywood and regional movies, with the help of Video Talkies portal on Airtel 3G. To learn more about Airtel 3G plans, head over to this page. If you have any queries, then call 12134 (toll free). To activate 3G services, SMS 3G’ to 121.

Back in March, Airtel launched its 3G services in India. Airtel has won 3G license for 13 telecom circles in India Mumbai, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (West), Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, North East, Jammu & Kashmir. Airtel has already launched its 3G services in most of the telecom circle, but it has failed to launch 3G in all the circle. Now, Airtel went a step ahead and launched its 3G services in India.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Rajiv Rajgopal, CEO Kerala & Tamil Nadu, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel said, With the highest Human Development Index and literacy rate in India, Kerala is indeed well poised to represent the strong growth and development being observed by our country today. Following the deep penetration of voice telephony across urban and rural India, the introduction of 3G services in the country marks the next wave of telecom revolution , one that will offer a world class data services experience on the mobile device. Today, we are truly excited to bring the Airtel 3G promise for our customers in Kerala. We believe that Airtel 3G will lead the data and internet revolution in Kerala, bringing our customers in this part of the state closer to an all new world of possibilities.

In the first phase of rollout, Airtel 3G services will be currently available in major cities including Kochi, Trivandrum and Calicut. The company will soon roll out 3G in other major parts of the state. Airtel customers in Kerala can enjoy multimedia services, high speed mobile broadband, videos on phone, live TV, video calls and much more.

Airtel 3G customers can also enjoy popular Bollywood and regional movies (including Malayalam) on their mobile phones, thanks to the Airtel’s Video Talkies portal. Airtel 3G comes with the Mobile TV, which allows you to watch more than 100 live channels on the go. To learn more about Airtel 3G plans, head over to this page.